There has much talk around UKIP on this board recently namely because of the very controversial ‘selection’ of pro-smoking publican Hamish Howitt which has angered a lot of members and I would resign if I was a member. If anyone can provide me with any information on what’s the story before his ‘selection’ I would appreciate it.
On their website they have a big defiant header ‘The Real Opposition’. If you look at their proper policies then if like me you are a right-leaning person some of them sound very sensible and very appealing.
Some of my favourites include much needed reforms to our over-abused welfare system, caps on immigration which is common sense NOT ‘racist’ lefties, proper beat policing and reform of the much maligned Human Rights Act, an English Parliament for England, a simple ‘flat tax’, introducing student grants to replace student loans. Check this out for more information
The only things missing for me are that I would like to see the scrapping of unfair hypocritical tuition fees, scrapping of PCSOs and axing of jobsworth posts in town halls. I am also not happy at all about their pledge to amend the smoking ban which I fiercely support.
So in my opinion some good policies spoilt only by a few I disagree with. The only problem with UKIP though is that too often they are seen as the party that wants OUT OF EUROPE, which I strongly support I want out of that corrupt expensive black hole as well. But this policy being fronted as their ‘big issue’ often gets them the label of ‘One Policy Party’.
Its a shame really because I would really like to vote for them, but I can’t back a party that wants to amend the smoking ban and I will certainly not vote for a muppet like Hamish Howitt.
Anyway open to the floor
I think UKIP are a one-policy party and we all what that is the rest of their policies being stolen from other parties. On a side note this is why I find it strange that they are backing Howitt as their candidate as he is trying to use European courts to over turn the UK law something UKIP once to stop happening.
As for the PCSOs I think the problem you have are the ones in Blackpool and how they are used. In Thornton they have targeted tasks such as traffic control outside schools and they go to local shops and confiscate alcohol form underage drinkers and at the same time troll around parks at night and during the day. You could say the PCs should do this and to a extent you may be right but then again if the PCs are free of this sort of duty then they should be more available to respond to more serious crimes.
I agree John, I am not the slightest bit convinced Howitt even believes what UKIP stands for, he has only gone with them because of the smoking ban policy (which is not even one of the ‘main’ policies) and they were the only party mad enough to accept him. I can’t speak for Thornton as I live in Blackpool but here PCSOs are useless. I go into town and I see them stood around chatting with security guards or bystanders (more like friends) and not about policing matters, they serve no useful purpose in my experience. At my friends house also there has been some parking problems and two PCSOs turned up and they were powerless to do anything. Yes I do think PCs should be dealing with such minor offences. Like in town on a Saturday afternoon all I see is PCSOs doing nothing no real police. Then at an event like Showzam in a few weeks there will hundreds of proper PCs there to direct the traffic and close the roads off. Why can’t the PCSOs do simple jobs like that and the proper police deal with proper crime which they do a very poor job of doing in my personal experience.
“Then at an event like Showzam in a few weeks there will hundreds of proper PCs there to direct the traffic and close the roads off. Why can’t the PCSOs do simple jobs like that and the proper police deal with proper crime which they do a very poor job of doing in my personal experience.”
In all fairness in Thornton that what I see them doing and I really do think having PCs taking alcoholic drinks of 14 year old a waste of their time they have far better things to do.
I agree John,they have helped in Thornton,sad thing is, there used be a police station here but it went.So as the population increased the no police decreased, bad planning or what???
When the new estates are built, we will need a police station then.
I don’t know about a police station perhaps we do but I must admit I am no sure that we do. What we want is a strong and visible police, and that is what’s happening at the moment in Thornton.
Also as for all this European Court of Human Rights stuff, I don’t believe Hamish will get anywhere. I studied the Human Rights Act as part of my nurse training and I am not claiming to be at the same level of knowledge as a barrrister/solicitor but I cannot see any article which is contravened by the smoking ban. I would love to ask Hamish what article he claims it breaches because I think he’s having a laugh if he thinks he can win. He tried his pathetic human rights argument in Blackpool Magistrates Court and Preston Crown Court against two different judges and they both threw it straight out. Remember Hamish these judges are legal experts they know what they are on about. I bet when he loses that case he’ll say I’m still not giving in I’ll take it to the United Nations in New York on International Human Rights grounds, wouldn’t surprise. The guy is starting to do my head in.
The Gazette does no favours by continually publicising him and treating him like a hero. I read a very touching story yesterday about a 10-year old girl who cut all her hair off to raise money for the excellent Haematology Unit at BVH after a family friend recently died of cancer. That is true altruism and what I would like to see rather than reading about that muppet.
I agree with John and TB,UKIP seem to be a one policy party, they need to change,new name and outlook.
Hamish is an absolute liability for ANY party, except the labour party where his insanity belongs.
Spot on Harold, another party I very much like the sound of is the English Democrats. The only trouble is because their main policy is English Parliament, there is a risk of them being seen as a ‘one trick pony’ as well.
I agree TB 100%, I just wished the EDs,BNP and UKIP thrashed out an alliance to answer the the 3 in 1 mainstream;its what is needed, a fresh perspective on a moribund political scene.
UKIP and the ED will not unite with the BNP they are extremely anti-BNP. As for the ED being branded, as a one-policy party so was the SNP look what happen to them?
They claim to be anti BNP but they have common interests and the BNP during the local elections offered not to stand against UKIP is eats that UKIP may win.
Excellent point John, I like the SNP because I support Scottish independence. I despise the current undemocratic system by where Scottish MPs are allowed to vote on English legislation but then English MPs are barred from ‘Scottish Parliament’. It just annoys me how so many Scottish people are anti-SNP because they have been conned by the Liebour Party and because they get too much for free off the English taxpayer. Scotland need to realise they can’t have their cake and eat it. One of two things need to be one; we get a devolved English Parliament and lock Scotland and Wales out of Westminster or they scrap Scottish, Welsh and NI Parliaments and have one big united Parliament. Either of those options suits me fine but the current system is a joke.
The whole system needs reform period,w ell said TB
Any one of those 3 parties is better than the lib/lab/con joke,they unlike their mainstream counterparts stand for something,I just wished they could form an alliannce but thats unlikely at the mo.
I despise the EU and long for the day we regain our independence, I won’t be voting UKIP though because our enemies our New Labour.
In the long term I like the view that the success of the UKIP in Euro elections will force a change in Conservative party policy in our dealings with the EU, at the very least give us a referendum on continued membership.
This country needs a leader and an ideology that puts the UK first, not the EU, not Africa and not the US, that doesn’t mean we need the BNP just a leader that isn’t an apologist for foreign demands.
Being English and not British I don’t see what UKIP really has to offer me. The English Democrats are like an English UKIP, so I prefer them. They have some sensible policies regarding industry which might have stopped wholesale takeovers (and closures) of English manufacturing, like Cadbury’s for example.
The UK and EU are robbing England blind so I would like a referendum on leaving the UK. The English Democrats are offering a referendum on getting out of the EU, but I would like them to go further and offer one for the English to get out of the UK too.
Some excellent points Stephen, I refuse to vote UKIP because of their stance on the smoking ban and I am not voting for that muppet Howitt. I would definitely consider an ED vote if they had a candidate in Blackpool South. I also agree that we should have an opportunity to pull out of the ‘United’ Kingdom. Its makes my blood boil when MPs of all parties keep saying ‘We don’t want to break up the ‘union’ what ‘union’? Is this the union where Scotland and Wales can operate as independent nations and Westminster is ‘UK Parliament’. So Scottish and Welsh MPs are making me face crippling debts in my quest to eventually return to university to become a doctor while their students enjoy free education, it stinks. The only reason Liebour is so hostile to Scottish independence is because without Scottish votes they wouldn’t have a majority and they wouldn’t have leverage to influence crucial Commons votes. Westminster should be ENGLISH Parliament NOT UK Parliament.